Taking place within London’s iconic Olympic Park and designed to celebrate Arcadia’s tenth anniversary this two day, three staged festival offered an experience that can’t be found at any other. Arcadia has a trump card up its sleeve. Rather than sell itself on a long list of household names; the draw is in-fact something that you won’t be able to get at any other festival – a unique and attention grabbing stage that’s built to resemble a giant mechanized Spider that wouldn’t look out of place in the Terminator film franchise.

It’s the beginning of December and I’m at a seaside resort for my final festival of 2017, but I’m not here for a sandy beach and a few waves. I’m at Butlin’s in Bognor Regis for the second ‘Electric Dreams Weekender’, a collaboration between Butlin’s Live Music Weekends and Vintage TV that creates a weekend of performances by classic synthesiser based bands, and some of their younger ‘Future Vintage’ contemporaries across two stages.
An adults only weekend, the grown ups can leave the kids at home and enjoy a range of entertainment across the site including discos, live music, quizzes, food and drink in the many restaurants and bars. Imagine one of the retro festivals but without the camping, as the resort accommodation provides the creature comforts for the more discerning festival goer.

The second day of the first ever Beyond The Tracks Festival brought some big-name bands to the heart of Birmingham, including Ocean Colour Scene,Maxïmo Park,The Coral and The Twang. Eastside City Park is a relatively small plot of land, just beyond the tracks (surprise, surprise) that lead a steady stream of trains in and out of New Street Station. The set-up felt rather like a fireworks events, with several fairground rides and food & drink stalls, along with the autumnal (but mostly dry!) weather.

And so to the first day of the inaugural Beyond The Tracks festival, taking place on a green space in Eastside in the heart of Birmingham; and ambitious festival which for the first day goes all dance / trance / party with the likes of Leftfield, Faithless (DJ Set) and headliners Orbital.

With summer feeling like a distant memory, and a more autumnal feel, my penultimate festival of the summer (and the year) finds me back at Portmeirion for the sixth Festival No.6, and my fifth visit to this beautiful spot in North Wales for one of my favourite festivals.

I headed to leafy south-east London this past weekend for one of the last summer festivals, OnBlackheath. The festival is sponsored by John Lewis and its fourth year. What makes the festival different is that it caters for all ages. A sea of families, running toddlers, strollers and Hello Kitty balloons welcomed me. With an array of activities to keep the children occupied, if I had any, this would also be a festival I would comfortable take them to.

Beyond The Tracks is a brand new, three day, green field festival taking place at Birmingham’s Eastside City Park this September. Featuring some of the most revered names in UK music and the brightest new stars, the festival is a welcome addition to the musical offering of the UK’s second city!

Back for a second year, on the hottest bank holiday for 10 years, Camper Calling Festival returns to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire for three days of great music, good food, and lots of family fun. On the Lakeside (Main) Stage, covering every genre of music, some of the brightest up and coming acts, and well established bands played to large crowds over the three day long festival. From Pop, Indie, Soul, R&B, Reggae, Funk to Acoustic, there was something for everyone.

The weather was glorious as us Gig Junkies headed into the Big Smoke to South West Four (or SW4). Named after the postcode of the South West of London that Clapham sits in, a two day festival, a stones throw from central London on Clapham Common, with some of the biggest names in dance music. I was lucky enough to head on down for the Sunday.

Us intrepid Gig Junkies set of on a journey across Europe to Dinkelsbühl in Germany for the immense four-day metal fest that is the delectably titled Summer Breeze 2017 to see some of the biggest names in metal including Korn, Amon Amarth, Kreator, Megadeth and many more....

We take a look at what's happening at South West Four, as it takes takes a quantum leap into its FOURTEENTH year, the biggest event in London’s clubbing calendar now represents a Bank Holiday weekend ritual for electronic music enthusiasts from all over the world....

The 80's are here again, as if they never went away. As part of their annual national tour, and returning to Clapham Common, Lets Rock! London, arrived for this year's big retro blast to celebrate all things 80's on Saturday 15th July with a star-studded line up of some great acts from the late 1970's through to the early 90's.

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